RC Pro Series: Salazar and Eltayeb Victorious In St Louis

Mexico’s Cesar Salazar and Egypt’s Salma Eltayeb were the last two winners in the month of April, taking home the RC Pro Series titles.

The Challenger 10 level competition was being played for the first time since prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, with a en’s event featuring in St Louis for the first time since 2015.

In the men’s event, top seed Cesar Salazar had to fight through several tough contests to secure the victory. The Mexican started his week with a confident performance to down Argentina’s Jeremias Azana, before coming back from a one game deficit to defeat Malaysia’s Addeen Idrakie in the quarter finals.

In the last four, Salazar went the distance with Pakistan’s Noor Zaman. The unseeded Pakistani led 2-1, but the Mexican fought back, and showed why is a former top 20 ranked player. He won the fourth 11-6, before then sneaking the deciding fifth game 11-9 to book his spot in the final.

The final was an all-Latin American affair, as Salazar took on Argentine No.1 Leandro Romiglio. The Mexican won the opening game on a tie-break, but saw the No.3 seed comfortably take the second game. Salazar regrouped, and went on to win in four games, to claim victory in St Louis.

Egypt’s Salma Eltayeb was the victor in the women’s draw, after coming in as the No.4 seed. The Egyptian started her week with comfortable victories, beating Frenchwoman Taba Taghavi and England’s Saran Nghiem in straight games.

She then took on compatriot Kenzy Ayman in the semi-finals in St Louis. The Egyptians were level after two games, but a pair of 11-9 scorelines in her favour saw Eltayeb down the tournament’s No.2 seed to make it through to the final.

In the final, she took on Malaysia’s Ainaa Amani, who had already downed the tournament’s top seed. The young Malaysian took a two-game lead, and Eltayeb had to fight to win the third game 11-9 to stay in the contest. From there, she was in complete control, dropping just four points in both the fourth and fifth games to complete a come-from-behind victory to take the title.

Results: RC Pro Series
Men’s Final
[1] Cesar Salazar (MEX) bt [3] Leandro Romiglio (ARG) 3-1: 12-10, 3-11, 11-7, 12-10 (55m)

Women’s Final
[4] Salma Eltayeb (EGY) bt Ainaa Amani (MAS) 3-2: 10-12, 1-11, 11-9, 11-4, 11-4 (37m)

Men’s Semi-Finals
[1] Cesar Salazar (MEX) bt Noor Zaman (PAK) 3-2: 11-7, 5-11, 8-11, 11-6, 11-9 (66m)
[3] Leandro Romiglio (ARG) bt [2] Juan Camilo Vargas (COL) 3-1: 13-11, 11-1, 4-11, 12-10 (61m)

Women’s Semi-Finals
Ainaa Amani (MAS) bt Haya Ali (EGY) 3-1: 11-9, 11-8, 12-14, 11-9 (37m)
[4] Salma Eltayeb (EGY) bt [2] Kenzy Ayman (EGY) 3-1: 11-6, 6-11, 11-9, 11-9 (36m)

Men’s Quarter Finals
[1] Cesar Salazar (MEX) bt [5] Addeen Idrakie (MAS) 3-1: 12-14, 11-7, 11-9, 11-5 (48m)
Noor Zaman (PAK) bt [7] Seif Shenawy (EGY) 3-0: 11-6, 11-9, 13-11 (29m)
[3] Leandro Romiglio (ARG) bt [6] Yassin Elshafei (EGY) 3-1: 11-9, 11-7, 6-11, 11-7 (45m)
[2] Juan Camilo Vargas (COL) bt [8] Mohammad Syafiq Kamal (MAS) 3-2: 11-5, 11-7, 3-11, 7-11, 11-5 (47m)

Women’s Quarter Finals
Ainaa Amani (MAS) bt [1] Nour Aboulmakarim (EGY) 3-1: 11-7, 6-11, 11-3, 13-11 (36m)
Haya Ali (EGY) bt Alina Bushma (UKR) 3-0: 11-2, 11-9, 11-7 (25m)
[4] Salma Eltayeb (EGY) bt Saran Nghiem (ENG) 3-0: 11-5, 11-7, 11-5 (24m)
[2] Kenzy Ayman (EGY) bt [7] Diana Garcia (MEX) 3-1: 9-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-7 (33m)

Men’s First Round
[1] Cesar Salazar (MEX) bt Jeremias Azana (ARG) 3-0: 11-5, 11-8, 12-10 (28m)
[5] Addeen Idrakie (MAS) bt [WC] Alex Ingham (ENG) 3-0: 11-9, 11-7, 11-9 (27m)
[7] Seif Shenawy (EGY) bt Andres Herrera (COL) 3-2: 6-11, 11-8, 11-6, 4-11, 11-6 (53m)
Noor Zaman (PAK) bt [4] Ivan Yuen (MAS) 3-0: 11-6, 11-9, 11-9 (21m)
[3] Leandro Romiglio (ARG) bt Mohamed Nasser (EGY) 3-1: 16-14, 11-6, 7-11, 7-11, 11-7 (80m)
[6] Yassin Elshafei (EGY) bt Josue Enriquez (GUA) 3-2: 13-11, 11-2, 7-11, 6-11, 11-8 (45m)
[8] Mohammad Syafiq Kamal (MAS) bt Mark Broekman (ENG) 3-1: 8-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-9 (35m)
[2] Juan Camilo Vargas (COL) bt Muhammad Ashab Irfan (PAK) 3-1: 14-12, 9-11, 11-8, 11-5 (55m)

Women’s First Round
Ainaa Amani (MAS) bt [5] Jessica Turnbull (AUS) 3-1: 12-10, 5-11, 11-8, 11-3 (33m)
Alina Bushma (UKR) bt [8] Au Yeong Wai Yhann (SGP) 3-1: 11-2, 13-15, 11-5, 11-3 (33m)
Haya Ali (EGY) bt [3] Millie Tomlinson (ENG) 3-0: 11-6, 11-7, 11-8 (24m)
[4] Salma Eltayeb (EGY) bt Taba Taghavi (FRA) 3-0: 11-4, 11-3, 11-3 (14m)
Saran Nghiem (ENG) bt [6] Sarah Cardwell (AUS) 3-0: 11-7, 11-4, 11-6 (25m)
[7] Diana Garcia (MEX) bt Bruna Marchesi Petrillo (BRA) 3-0: 11-1, 11-2, 11-5 (18m)